Lover of the Legacy: A Hidden Desire
by buckwolvhoosier
Summary: Satine is the Princess of Alagaesia, but lives in Surda, and is engaged to King Orrin. When Eragon comes to Surda, Satine and Eragon fall in love and conduct a secret love affair. Is their love really true? What happens when Orrin learns of the affair?
1. Introduction

Lover of the Legacy: A Hidden Desire Intro

She has read many books about drama, love affairs, and epic romances. Like every girl, I she dreamed of true love and wanted it with every fiber of her being, but growing up in a palace, it was a foolish thought. A princess like her is doomed to live a loveless life-according to society-but that is not always true. She found her one true love, and he loved her back. He was even a man of rank, Eragon the Dragon Rider. Logically, she should be able to be with him-right? Needless to say, her love was forbidden due to the fact that she is engaged to another man, King Orrin, and therefore cannot live openly with the man that she loves.

Even so, they conducted their affair. Now she is lying on her bed with tears in her eyes holding her pillow tightly to her chest wondering why life has to be so complicated. King Orrin has banished her from his sight when he learned her hidden desire, which is her undying love for Eragon. Now she has to decide what to do. This is the story of Princess Satine.


	2. Main Character List

Satine-

Age: 19

Looks: Long silky blond hair, bright blue eyes, slender, and short

Personality: Energetic, outgoing, friendly, talkative, and very passionate/emotional.

Hobbies: Reading, writing, dancing, singing, and helping others.

Background: Satine is King Galbatorix's daughter. Her mother, Nadeen, died when she was a little girl leaving her unprotected against her ruthless father. When she was 13, Satine fled Uru'baen and ended up in Surda. Orrin's father, Larkin, was still King at that time and declared after much scrutiny that Satine was innocent and therefore allowed to live freely in the palace. She becomes friends with Orrin and Nasuada. Currently, she is engaged to Orrin despite that fact that she is not in love with him. She falls in love with Eragon and has a secret love affair with him.

King Orrin-

Age: 24

Looks: Brown hair, brown eyes, average muscular build, tall

Personality: Generally nice, but can have a temper, curious, and talkative.

Hobbies: Conducting science experiments, mathematics, and politics.

Background: He grew up in Surda and became King after his father died. When Satine came to live in the palace, he enjoyed her company more than Nasuada's. His feeling for her grew until he finally admitted his love for her. Soon, he asked for her hand in marriage, and Satine accepted even though she was not truly in love with him. He also deals with the threat of Galbatorix as he has finally openly supports the Varden under Nasuada's rule.

Eragon-

Age: 17

Looks: Shaggy blonde hair, blue eyes, muscular, tall

Personality: Powerful, aggressive, competitive, nice, curious, and passionate/emotional.

Hobbies: Riding Saphira, using magic, studying the ways of the Dragon Rider,keep up with his reading and writing, and helping others.

Background: (Since people reading this story should have already read the Eragon series, I will use too much details. I am just gonna start with Eragon in Ellesmera.) Eragon trained for a few months in Ellesmera with Oromis and Glaedr. During this time, he tried to pursue Arya, Princess of the elves. Failing in that regard, he stops trying to woo her, but still thinks that he loves her. When he goes to Surda, he meets Satine causing his emotions to become utterly conflicted as he starts to fall in love with her. Soon they conduct a secret love affair.

Nasuada-

Age: 19

Looks: Dark skin, short black hair, brown eyes, medium build, and kind of tall.

Personality: Determined, straight-forward, honest, and loyal.

Hobbies: Helping others, politics, and reading.

Background: Her father, Ajihad, brought her to the Varden as a little girl. Ajihad became the leader, and when he died, she succeed him. Eragon has sworn fealty to her, but even so, she does not have complete control over him. As promised, she had Eragon leave to train with the elves, and she moved the Varden to Surda. King Galbatorix threatens to attack them at anytime, so most of her energy is spent keeping the army organized. Yet, she cannot ignore her heart as sudden feelings for King Orrin arise.

Age: Over 100

Looks: Raven black hair, green almond shaped eyes, pointed ears, slender, and tall

Personality: Easily annoyed, but generally nice, tough, loyal, determined

Hobbies: Helping others, politics, and reading, running, an ambassador for the Elves

Background: Her mother is Queen Islanzadi, leader of the elves. Arya becomes an ambassador and ferried Saphira's egg up until she sent it to the Spine where Eragon found it. She is devoted to her duties and does not give much leeway for her feelings. She lost her lover, Faolin, when she was ambushed by Durza, and has never been able to love again. When Eragon started wooing her, she became mad and declined his advancements. She is relieved when Eragon stops pursuing her, but did not question why he stopped.

Saphira-

Age: Less than a year

Looks: Sapphire blue dragon

Personality: Protective of Eragon, cunning, curious, friendly, and tough.

Hobbies: Flying with Eragon, hunting, and help Eragon

Background: Hatched in Carvahall for Eragon. During her training with Oromis and Glaedr, she started to have feelings for the Golden dragon. With this understanding of young love, she does not chastise Eragon as much as she used to. Even so, she does not like his fleeting emotions from Arya to Satine. She grudgingly keeps Eragon's affair a secret.


	3. Chapter 1: The Proposal

Chapter 1

Satine made her way to King Orrin's private study wondering what he wanted this time. The last time he summoned her, it was to explain how plants use the sun to grow. Photosynthesis was an interesting discovery, but in the middle of a war, it wasn't very useful knowledge. Her father, King Galbatorix, is gathering his army to attack them and King Orrin is busy in his private study or in his laboratory studying plants and chemicals. Even so, he still managed to perform all of his duties in a timely manner.

At the solid oak door, she knocked twice, and then waited patiently. "Satine, I am glad that you were able to come. Please, step inside." Orrins desk was completely hidden with paper and books open to pages with strange pictures and diagrams as warm fire crackled in the fireplace.

"You wanted to talk to me about something?" Satine asked, but not harshly. She had little love of scientific discoveries, but she did not hold that against Orrin because there were other qualities that she did like about him.

"Aye. As you know, your father marches against us and it is up to you, Nasuada, and I, as leaders of a nation, to stop him. The Varden is not a certified country, but it is large enough and functions much like a nation, and I have allied with them. We have documentation that states our alliance with the Varden, but there is no documentation of an alliance with Alagaesia."

Satine stood silent, waiting for him to finish. "My father allowed you to live peacefully here when you came to him, which was great, but just because he housed you is no means to declare an alliance, even though you do support our cause."

"So, you want me to formally support Surda and the Varden?"

"Yes, though, I had hoped that the paper you sign for Surda will be much more binding than a simple alliance." When he finished, his demeanor was no longer political. His brown eyes were gentle as he gazed at her.

Satine fidgeted and asked, "What do you mean?"

Orrin turned and shuffled through his desk until he found a small box covered in blue velvet. With the box in hand, he knelt to the ground with one knee, opened the box, and asked, "Will you marry me, Satine?"

Satine gaped as she looked from the ring to Orrin. After a few long seconds, she shook her head saying, "I don't know." Tears filled her eyes at his offer, but they were not tears of joy.

Orrin closed and pocketed the box standing up. He lifted up Satine's chin to look deeply into her weeping eyes. "We don't have to get married, but I had to ask. I love you, Satine, and it's obvious that you do not love me." He sighed.

"I admire your courage to ask me, and I like you Orrin. You have always been kind to me, and I am grateful for that. Yet my heart yearns for something more than fondness, it yearns for love. However, I am a princess, and as such I have a duty to my people as well. My father oppresses them, and I intend to help stop him. So, on political grounds, I accept your proposal." She still looked so forlorn, even though her tears ceased.

Orrin looked shocked. "Are you sure?"

"You are a decent man, Orrin, and I am sure we can live peacefully." She cracked a small smile.

"We can still live peacefully even without being married…"

"Orrin, no one wants to be alone, and besides, who else do you think I am compatible with?"

"There is the Rider…"

"Oh, the Rider Eragon. I heard from Nasuada that he is in love with Arya, and even if that is only some silly rumor, how do we know that we would get along, fall in love, and want to get married? Love should not be a gamble. Look, we have been friends for many years, so I know you, and I trust you."

Orrin nodded. "Alright, if you insist." He took out the ring, "May I?"

Satine held out her left hand where he slipped the ring onto her third finger. After, he kissed her cheek. "You have made me a happy man, and I will do all that I can to make you happy as well."

"Thank you Orrin." She kissed his cheek, then asked, "By the way, what were you studying before you summoned me?"

This time her smile was genuine making Orrin feel better about the situation. His eyes lit up as he smiled, "I will show you." He took her hand and led her to his desk where they talked for hours before heading to bed.


	4. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

The following evening, Satine sat on her bed staring at her ring finger thinking about how her life would change once married to Orrin. She would be the Queen of Surda, showing strong opposition to her father. The move was dangerous, but one that she felt was necessary. As queen, she would have more political power to help the people of Surda, the Varden, and even her country of Alagaesia.

Nasuada wasn't very happy with the arrangement at first, but eventually warmed up to the idea. She has always been friends with Satine, but secretly she loved Orrin, so hearing that her friend was engaged to him tore at her heart. It hurt her even more when Satine admitted that she wasn't in love with Orrin like he was with her. The whole situation was preposterous, but they all went along with it because there was not much that they could really do.

Satine sighed and opened the book that she had set down. Books have been her passion aside from writing. Her favorite books always contained some element of romance which fueled her heart to yearn for such love. The book she possessed that night was entitled, "Tristan and Isolde." She read until her eyelids grew tired and fell asleep with the book on her chest.

King Orrin was heading off to his bedchambers when he noticed that light emancipated from Satin's room. He walked to the door and knocked. When no answer came, he slowly opened the door to peek in. Seeing Satine asleep, he opened the door wider to walk in. He took the book off of her and placed it on the table next to her bed. Then, he lifted the covers over her and kissed her brow. "Good night, love." He severed the candle and left for his chambers.

The morning sun warmed the room and nearly blinded Satine when she woke up. Covering her head, she groaned not wanting to get up. She wanted to sleep in and relax something that she has not done in months. Grudgingly, she got up, dressed, and left heading for the kitchen. Along the way, she met up with Nasuada. "Good morning Satine, I trust you slept well?"

"Well enough, I went to bed late."

"Reading again I presume."

"Aye." The women entered the kitchen. Chef Montgomery prepared eggs, bacon, and toast for them. They sat down at a nearby table and continued their conversation. "I was reading a book called 'Tristan and Isolde.'"

"Really? Why does that sound like another romance book?"

"Because it is. It's about Tristan falling in love with Isolde long before he had won her for his King. You see, Isolde was a princess of a land called Ireland and Tristan lived in Britain, and Ireland and Britain were in a war. During a battle Tristan becomes injured…" Satine rambled on and on while Nasuada ate, nodding her head every few seconds to make it look like she was listening, when in reality she was busy thinking about what she had to do that day.

When she finished, Nasuada stood up saying, "That sounds like a wonderful book, Satine, but I really must be going now. I will see you later. Bye."

"Bye…" Satine said as Nasuada walked away. She sighed and began eating her breakfast feeling alone. _No one ever listens to anything that I find interesting, and yet they always expect me to listen to them when they speak of their interests. It's not fair. I just want one person who will listen._ In silence, she finished her meal and left.

In the throne room, she met with Orrin and his adviser's where they discussed Surda's supplies and the morale of the people. For hours Satine sat there listening to the men talk, or argue, until finally agreements were made. The adviser's left leaving Satine and Orrin alone in the room, aside from the guards.

"Did I do the right thing?"

Satine looked up at Orrin. He was sitting on his throne with his head in his hands as if he had a headache. "On what subject? Many topics were discussed, so I am unsure to which situation you are referring to."

"I am referring to the situation with the Varden where I cut off their money supply? Nasuada will not be happy, but I cannot afford to spare anymore."

"It is true that our coffers are low, so yes, you had to cut off the Varden, however, you can still help them in other ways. Already you gave them land to settle on, but what about food, clothes, and weapons? Do we have any more that we can give them?"

"I am afraid not. What we have, we already gave them."

"Then there really isn't much you can do. How do you plan on breaking the news to Nasuada?"

"I am unsure."

"Well, be gentle about it, even when she gets mad."

For the first time, he looked up at her, amused. "Aren't I always gentle?" he asked, sarcastically.

"For the record, not always, your temper can be improved on." She chuckled.

"Enough of this, what are your plans for the rest of the day?"

"I am going into town with Brittany; we volunteered to work at the soup kitchen today."

"Oh yeah, I remember you mentioning that to me the other day. I should have remembered."

Satine shook her head, "It's alright. You have a lot on your mind; I don't expect you to remember my schedule on top of everything else."

Orrin smiled, "Thanks. Well, I guess I will see you tonight-right?"

"Only if you want to see me." Right after she said that, she mentally slapped herself for saying such a thing. She looked at Orrin and saw hurt in his eyes. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean it like that."

"Of course not." He sighed. "And for the record, I always like seeing you." He Stood up and left through a secret passageway leaving her alone in the middle of the room.

Satine, feeling horrible, left the vast room to look for Brittany. The rest of her day went well, but she still felt bad about what she said to Orrin. She really viewed him as a friend, and soon he will be her husband, so she did not want to ruin their relationship due to a poor choice of words. That night she visited Orrin in his study.

"Orrin," she said softly as she closed the door behind her. He was staring out the window where the moon was hidden behind the clouds. Satine slowly walked across the room until she was adjacent to him. "Orrin, I really am sorry about what I said earlier. I wasn't thinking…" she paused, and then went on to say, "I know that you love me, and I am doing the best that I can. Please, forgive me. I didn't mean to hurt you." Her depression sunk in as a tear rolled down her cheek.

Orrin turned to look at her, and upon seeing her cry, he placed his hands on her face to wipe away her tears. "I forgive you, Satine." Orrin's eyes widened as shock suddenly took a hold of him when Satine hugged him. He quickly settled down and wrapped his arms around her. "Oh Satine. You know, I pretty much forgotten what had transpired until you brought it up just now. I was actually thinking about what had occurred between Nasuada and I. I had to visit me in my lab today and that is where I told her that I cannot give her anymore money. To make a long story short, I think she hates me now."

At this, Satine had to laugh. "I don't think she hates you, I think she just hates the fact that you cut off her funds."

"No, I really think that she hates me."

"I doubt that, you are too nice for people to hate." This time, she was not joking with him; her tone was absolutely serious. Orrin caught the change and looked at her wondering where she was getting at. She looked at him and as she looked, an overpowering idea filled her head. She kept staring at him as she bounced the idea back and forth until she was certain that this was something that she wanted to do.

Feeling a little awkward, Orrin asked her what she was thinking. She smiled and said, "I want to try something."

Utterly baffled, he asked, "What do you want to try?"

"This…" she trailed off as she raised herself on her tiptoes and kissed his lips.


	5. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Satine pulled away from Orrin disappointed. She was hoping that she would feel something when she kissed him, but instead it just felt awkward. Orrin, after he composed himself from being stunned, looked down at her. He sensed the awkwardness and said, "You were hoping for something that I cannot give." He sighed. Even for him, the kiss was weird, and he was sure that he was in love with her. "Well, I am tired. I think it best if we went to bed and started fresh tomorrow. What say you?"

"I guess you are right. Who knows what the future will hold. I was hoping for some spark, but there was nothing. I am sorry, maybe I should never have kissed you."

"Satine, don't stress yourself over it. Maybe we are better off as friends, and when we are married, we don't have to do anything intimate. I don't want you to be uncomfortable. You are only marrying me for the sake of an alliance, and that is very thoughtful of you."

"Again, I thank you for your kindness. Anyways, before I depart, do you have any idea when our wedding will be?"

"I hope you will not be offended, but I have not made any plans yet. I have been so occupied with the Varden and the coming war. But, I will set the date as soon as possible."

"Oh, don't worry, the war is more important. I can still sign a document that will show my support for Surda if you would like. That way you have documentation of my support before we are even married."

"That is actually a good idea. Why didn't I think of that?" He waved his hand, "No matter, well, I hope you sleep well tonight."

"Thanks." She started to walk out of the study. At the door she turned and said, "Good night, Orrin."

Satine tossed and turned that night. In her dream she was in a wedding dress but in the middle of a battle. Her father was there and was laughing at her pitiful appearance. With one swift motion, he released the magic that would kill her on impact. No one was there to save her. The magic struck her, and everything went black. An evil laugh filled the void and she screamed.

She awoke in a cold sweat, the sun in her eyes. She got up and washed her face and got dressed. For the rest of the day she was busy with Nasuada. They were going over the Varden's funds and how to raise more money. Nasuada had quite an idea when she told her about using magic to make lace to sell to the women of the Varden and of Surda. Satine asked where she got such an idea, for it was indeed clever, and she told her that the other day her dress caught fire after visiting with Orrin in his laboratory. Satine was glad that Nasuada was alright and expressed her thoughts on the subject.

"What I find funny is the fact that he cut off your funds, but he will still be forced to give you money anyways."

Nasuada stared at Satine quizzically. "What do you mean?"

"My wedding dress! I will have lace on my dress, and since Surda is low on such materials, he will have to buy the lace that you are producing." Satine laughed.

Nasuada thought for a moment, and then laughed along with Satine. "Why, you are right. He is going to be irritated when he finally realizes that fact."

"Is that so? He didn't want to cut off your funds, Nasuada, but he didn't have much of a choice."

Nasuada turned sour, "Satine, you don't need to flatter me. I know that he is not fond of me. He would much rather have my father as our ruler, but alas, that is no longer the case."

Satine was taken aback. _Why is she suddenly bitter? What she says is not true, and she knows that, so why does she act otherwise? _"Well, I disagree, but enough of this; it is not worth arguing about. So aside from producing lace, do you have any other means to raise money?"

"At the moment, no."

"Alright then. If you come up with any other ideas, please let me know. You understand that I am in charge of reporting what goes on within the Varden to King Orrin."

"Aye, I understand. At first when he chose you to be the ambassador, I was a little skeptical, but you have performed your duties admirably. I hope that I have not offended you." She said, but not unkind.

"No, you are only being honest. Besides, I was even unsure if I would be any good at this job. But, I guess I have been doing quite well. Though, as soon as we leave for battle, I will have to accompany you while Orrin stays here to defend the castle."

"It is scary, I know. But, you will be alongside me, and I intend to keep you safe." She smiled.

"That is comforting."

The days drifted by, and soon two months have passed before anything occurred out of the ordinary. News spread that Eragon was returning to the Varden. His training was not yet complete and he promised Oromis that he would return to complete his lessons. A few weeks before he returned, Arya came back, and Satine had the pleasure of formally meeting the elf. They had their differences, but they were cordial to each other allowing them to work together peacefully. Satine liked the extra female company, even though Arya was quite different from her dress to her mannerisms and ways of thinking. She learned from the elf and found out that it was true that Eragon was trying to woo her. That bit of information was announced after she told Arya about her marriage to Orrin and how she was not in love with the man.

Arya was not one who gave away personal information to anyone, so Satine felt honored that Arya trusted her with it. From what she said, Eragon was an interesting character. She was excited to meet him, but also nervous as well. He is a rider, and as such, he became a creature of magic, an element that she was always wary about. Arya is a magical being as well, but it was not the same as that of a rider, especially a human rider like her father. Nasuada assured her that Eragon was a decent man, but she would judge for herself when she met him.

When the day finally arrived for Eragon's arrival, the entire castle was buzzing with excitement. The cooks began preparing their meals early, roasting a giant boar and baking numerous pies and cakes for dessert. The maids cleaned just about every inch of the building until Orrin was satisfied that no dust was to be seen. He made it very clear that everyone had to look nice and be on their best behavior; he wanted to impress the rider with their good manners and that despite a war, they still could maintain cleanliness. As far as the dress code, Orrin wanted his subjects to dress fancy, but not completely extravagant. This was not an occasion to show off wealth, it was just an occasion to celebrate.

Satine wore a light blue and cream colored gown. Her hair was naturally wavy, but it was curled and pinned back with flowers. To finish, she had a simple, but beautiful tiara. Upon seeing her, Orrin lost his breath at her beauty. To match her, he was in a light blue tunic and he wore black pants and boots. On his head he wore his crown. Together, they looked compatible, as they walked arm-in-arm to the garden where the banquet was to be held. Nasuada wore a red gown. It was simple, but pretty and she did receive some nice compliments. She entered the garden with Eragon, Saphira, and Arya. Everyone else was already there awaiting their arrival. Eragon wore a green tunic and brown pants and boots and Arya wore a white simple gown that made her raven black hair to stand out. They walked to where Satine and King Orrin stood, and bowed. In return, Satine and Orrin bowed and introductions were made.

"Welcome Eragon Shadeslayer and Saphira. We have long awaited your arrival, and tonight we celebrate. Let us enjoy all means of celebration while we still can."

"Well spoken, King Orrin. Saphira and I are honored to join you." Eragon said. Saphira bowed her head in greeting and hummed.

"No, it is an honor to meet you, Eragon. I am King Orrin and this," he gestured to his fiancé, "is Princess Satine, daughter of King Galbatorix."

Eragon learned that the princess had joined forces with Surda and the Varden when she ran away years ago from her father. From stories, he was told that she was beautiful, but always felt that people may have over exaggerated. But alas, the stories were true for Satine was gorgeous compared to the average human woman. Another thing that he noted was her youth. He knew she was young, but standing there before him she looked his age. He nodded and said, "It is a pleasure to meet you." He smiled.

She smiled back and said, "It is a pleasure to meet you as well, Eragon Shadeslayer and Saphira."

When all introductions were made, the feast began. Orrin sat at the head of the table with Eragon and Satine sitting across from each other in the first chair down and Arya and Nasuada in the second chairs down. Saphira, being quite large had her food brought to her and placed on a table just for her. Various meat, cheese, vegetables, fruits, and desserts were passed around and devoured throughout the evening. Orrin had musicians play and eventually some people started to dance.

Throughout, some of Orrin's subjects introduced themselves to the rider and his dragon. Most were quite nervous, and some eased up once they started talking with him after they discovered that he was friendly. Satine observed his behavior with the people and became quite certain that they would get along well together, making her job easier.

They did engage in conversation during the dinner, but it was only on general topics such as the fact that she was engaged to King Orrin.

"Congratulations to the both of you. Is there a date set for the wedding?" Eragon asked to keep the conversation going. Although he hid it well, he was a bit nervous before the King and the Princess. It was even more unsettling when Arya kept dodging his glances. He never got over that night in Ellesmera at the Blood-Oath Celebration. To help him cope with the awkwardness, he kept his attention to the current conversations.

"It is embarrassing to admit, but no date has been set yet. I am sure you understand that we have been very busy."

"Aye, I do. Well, no matter, I am sure the two of you will have a wonderful life together." He had just assumed that they were in love, but after he said this and caught their forced smiles, he had broached upon a sensitive topic and he felt bad for saying something that really wasn't true. He sensed that they were good friends, but lovers, they were not. The subject was changed by Nasuada when she mentioned her lace idea. Almost simultaneously, Satine and Nasuada begin to laugh at their inside joke. King Orrin has not figured out the loop-hole and gazed at them confused. Even Arya was taken aback. Eragon sat there with a strange sensation in his heart. He knew that he was attracted to Arya, but from the moment he had met Satine, she had somehow captured his attention. Watching her laugh in merriment made him relax around her as he grasped her relaxed demeanor.

When she caught her breath and stopped laughing, she met Eragon's gaze and her heart immediately burned with a passion that she has never felt before.


	6. Chapter 4: The Friendship Begins

Chapter 4

It was the day after Eragon had arrived in Surda. Orrin and Nasuada had finished briefing Eragon and Saphira about their plans to send their armies east towards the Burning Plains. After poring over maps and from what they heard from their messengers, the King's army seemed to be heading in that direction. "By the week's end, we hope to have everything ready to leave." Nasuada said.

"Good. I will stay here and defend the castle. A smaller group of the King's soldier's was seen and we think that they will strike the capital. Satine will be the one to lead my army while I am absent."

Nasuada nodded and the group was dismissed. Eragon was glad to leave the stuffy room; he had a headache and was tired from the night before. He left Saphira, who wanted to explore Aberon and hunt, for the kitchen. Orrin had instructed him that there would be no more formal dinners and said that he could go to the kitchen whenever he wanted to eat. Along the way, he passed a few nobles and servants who all bowed before him making him feel awkward. At first he enjoyed the attention, but when every person bows at him, it gets quite annoying. Still, he hid his annoyance with a smile and continued walking towards the kitchen.

He opened the door to find the room completely empty. When no one showed up after a few minutes, he decided to simply prepare a meal by himself. He rummaged through the cabinets and grabbed some bread, cheese, fruit, and a cup of wine. After a few bites of the food and a drink of the wine, he began to feel much better.

He had finished most of his food and was pouring another glass of wine when the door opened. Looking up, Eragon saw Satine enter. "Oh, excuse me; I didn't know anyone was in here." She closed the door and headed towards Eragon, never bowing once.

"It's fine; I was just finishing up anyways." Eragon popped a grape into his mouth.

"I don't mind the company; it gets lonely always eating alone nearly every day." She walked passed him to grab a cup. "May I?" She pointed at the wine bottle in his hand.

Eragon had forgotten that he was holding the bottle. "Oh yeah. Here, let me get that for you." He took her cup and poured her some wine.

"Thank you." She smiled, grabbing the cup back. "I hope the food was to your liking. Coming from a palace, I am sure you expected more, but given the war, we have been forced to eating less sophisticated dishes, with the exception of last night's feast."

"The food was fine, and this wine," he held up his glass, "Is superb." He took a sip.

"I will tell Orrin of your compliments." She set down her glass and began to gather her meal while Eragon continued to finish his. When she was done, she took a seat across from Eragon and began to eat.

"From what I have seen, Aberon seems to be a pleasant city." Eragon said when their silence became unbearable.

Satine swallowed a piece of cold chicken, wiped her lips, and replied. "It is. If not for such pressing matters, I would have loved to show you around. I only hope that Orrin can fend off the King's men before the entire city is destroyed."

"I would have loved that, however, if we survive this fight and the city is not in shambles, perhaps we will get to take that tour."

Satine nodded. "Perhaps." She began to eat some grapes while Eragon took his dishes to the sink. "So, what do you like to do in your spare time, Eragon?"

The question was simple, but it still caught him off guard. Not once since he had been forced to leave Carvahall to go off on an incredible journey had someone asked him what his hobbies were. In fact, as he thought about it, he realized that he never really did much in the little time he did have off. "Well, I do like to read, if that is what you mean." He said, finally.

Satine suddenly became giddy as her eyes lit up and she exclaimed, "That's wonderful! I love to read as well."

Her excitement caused Eragon to shake off his nervousness as he began to feel more comfortable around the young woman. "I do, especially since I have recently learned to read."

"That's right; you grew up on a farm. Anyways, I am glad that you were able to learn to read; there is so much that we can learn from books, and I wish that more people would take the time to enjoy the written word."

"What is your favorite story?" Her passion for books astounded him, and he was anxious to learn more.

"Let's see," she said, as she began to think. After a few moments, she finally responded. "I don't really have a favorite, I love so many, but I can narrow it down to at least five that I really enjoy." Eragon listened to her ramble off the book, and after, she explained why she loved them. Eragon then told her some of the books that he had enjoyed adding how he would have to read the ones she loved. "After I read them, I will have to tell you my opinions."

"I would love to hear them." She had finished her lunch and took her dishes to the sink. Turning around, she then asked, "How would you like to see the gardens? I do not have anything going on at the moment, and I am guessing you don't either."

Eragon smiled and nodded, "Sure, might as well enjoy what little pleasantries we have before we have to leave." The remainder of the afternoon was spent in the garden where Satine and Eragon talked for hours about various topics. By the end of the day, they departed as friends.

* * *

Eragon was heading to his chambers when he stopped to find Satine asleep in the library. He walked in and tapped her on the shoulder, but she didn't wake up not surprising him at all. Nearly all week she was found sleeping with a book in her hand. Eragon chuckled and left her to find Orrin, who was in his room talking to Nasuada and looking at a map. "Eragon, what is it?" He suddenly became concerned considering that he had dismissed his not too long ago, and hoped that nothing was amiss.

"I am sorry to interrupt you, but I thought I should let you know that Satine is asleep in the library, again."

At the news, Orrin heaved a sigh of relief. "Thank you, Eragon." Eragon nodded and was about to depart when Orrin addressed him again. "Do you think you can take her to bed? I would do it myself, but I really am very busy at the moment."

Eragon assured the king that he can perform the task and left. Back in the library, he gently lifted Satine bridal style and carried her down the hallway. He was nearly to her chambers when Satine began to stir, making him come to a halt. He looked upon her and saw that she was still sleeping despite her movements. He watched as she snuggled closer to his chest, wrapping an arm around his neck.

Eragon felt his heart begin to race, but ignored it as he resumed his walking. In her room, he laid her down, whispered his good night, and left trying to forget how much he wanted to be near her.


	7. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Eragon walked down the long corridor. It was late evening and he was heading back to his chambers after another grueling day of packing last minute supplies. In the morning he was heading out with the Varden to the Burning Plains. He was quite sure he was alone in the hall until he heard distant sobbing. With each step the sad noise became louder until he rounded the corner to find Satine sitting alone on a bench. Her eyes were red and puffy as she quickly wiped away her tears.

"Eragon, I didn't expect to see you. What are you doing here?" She took a deep breath before finally facing him.

"Satine, are you alright?" He hated to see her in such ill temperament.

"I'm fine." She knew Eragon did not believe her and when he stood silent, giving her the I-don't-believe-you stare. "It's just that I am unsure how to tell you."

Eragon's gaze softened. "Do you think you can try to tell me what is wrong? You know that I will not tell anyone."

"I do not doubt your trust, Eragon." She sighed. "Things are so hectic these days and the stress has really weighed me down. I find it hard to keep up with everything."

"I understand." Eragon sat down on the small patch of vacant bench. Next to Satine made him feel more jubilant and alive, a sensation that no other has made him experience; only Saphira came that close, and at the thought of his dragon, he smiled. His affections towards Arya were a foolish fancy, although falling for Princess Satine, an engaged woman, was not much better, but at least she was his age and they had a common interest. He felt satisfied just being a close friend.

"We argued tonight; the first time in months." Satine's voice cracked, but no tears streamed down her rosy cheeks. "He is scared for me and had the sudden desire to keep me here, but I told him to stop treating me like a child. I didn't mean to make him mad; I was only stating how he made me feel at that moment. I told him that I was going with you and Nasuada. I told him that either way I would be in danger and that my skills are most needed with the Varden. Of course, I failed to realize that he wanted me there to be by his side. What should I do, Eragon? I don't know what path to take: should I stay here with Orrin, or head to the Burning Plains with you and the Varden?"

Eragon remained silent and pondered her words. At long last he spoke, "Satine, I am sorry, but you have to make the decision on your own, however, here is my opinion on the matter. You should go to the Burning Plains. As a political figure, the men look up to you, and when they see you fight alongside them, they will not lose hope."

"Am I really that significant? I am only a Princess…"

"The Princess of Alagaesia is no meager position. You have the power to make a difference just like me, Nasuada, and Orrin. When your father is slain, the people will look to you as their new leader?"

The thought of actually ruling a country seemed daunting for Satine. "But I am to marry Orrin and his kingdom is here in Surda."

"True, but who's to say that the two of you might also rule Alagaesia as well?"

Satine finally understood what he was saying and then proceeded to say, "You are very wise, Eragon. I will accompany you to the Burning Plains as planned."

Eragon nodded. Silence followed and for an entire minute, the two of them sat there fidgeting on occasion. Finally, Eragon broke the awkward silence. "You really love Alagaesia to marry a man that you do not love." Until that moment, Eragon had never mentioned her relationship with Orrin in such a bold manner. At each instance when they broached the topic, one of them would change it to avoid the conversation.

Satine's alarm vanished as quickly as it came. After a nervous chuckle she said, "There is no fooling you, is there?"

"I noticed your disconnect with him the night of the banquet. I never really understood your intentions for it, even now I am a bit confused."

"Then let me enlighten you. I am sure you are well aware that a part of my intention to marry him is for the people of Alagaesia, but there is more to it than that. I am really marrying him because at the time…" she faltered suddenly aware of what she was about to disclose.

"Satine?" Her blank face puzzled him. He looked into her eyes as an urge to be closer to her surged through his veins. _What is this feeling, so sudden and new, I feel it the moments she lays eyes on me. O, her eyes that sparkle like a stars…_

_Eragon!_ Saphira's intrusion swept away his reverie.

"Sorry, I was just having a random thought, please continue. You are only marrying him because…" he prompted.

"I am marrying him because at the time he proposed I was unsure that anyone would come into my life the way he did. He is a good friend and I know that we can make it work. I scarified love to be with a man who loves me and can take care of me. I did not know that there would be anyone else who could be that close, until…"

"I came along?" He finished her sentence, hoping that it was true.

"Aye." She looked down and stared at her hands. "Eragon, this can never be."

"Why not?" Eragon lifted up her chin. "I have never felt this way about anyone."

"What of Arya?" She gently pushed his hand away, not because she did not want him touching her, but because she was uncertain of his motive. When she saw the hurt in his eyes, she panicked. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to open an old wound."

"No, it's ok Satine, we should talk about my relationship with her. Yes, I thought I loved her, and on several occasions, I tried to express my love for her, but to no end will she have me. The pain stabbed at my heart, and each time I saw her, the pain became more severe. Yet, with you, I feel my heart begin to mend, and at times, skip a beat. I do not want to pressure you, but I cannot ignore me feelings."

It heartened her to hear him say those words. "I never knew you felt that way about me."

"I should not feel this way about you. Like you said, we can never be."

"Yes, yes it can. I can tell Orrin…" She was cut off when Eragon's lips pressed against hers.


	8. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

Eragon's lips were soft and warm and at the touch it felt as if an electric current penetrated her body, sending chills down her spine. The feeling was unlike the kiss shared with Orrin, which was dull to say the least. Her head was spinning and she was unsure if she should kiss back or run away, after all she is still engaged to another man. Eragon had already pulled away by the time she made up her decision.

"I'm sorry, I should not have kissed you." Eragon stumbled out his excuse.

"I am not mad at you, Eragon. But, you should refrain from kissing me until I cancel my engagement with Orrin." Satine thought what could have happened if someone spotted them kissing and shuttered.

"Yes, yes of course…" he said before he realized what she had said, "Wait? Cancel your engagement?"

"I don't know why you are shocked. I just about to say that before you cut me off with your kiss."

"Are you sure that is what you want?" Yes, he liked her, a lot, and he knows that she likes him, but he still felt that wasn't enough to cancel an engagement. _She has known Orrin a lot longer and we still barely know each other. _

"I think so." Her uncertainty shocked her. _Will I ever know what I really want?_

"I promise not to kiss you again, but you must also promise not to break the engagement until you are absolutely sure that is what you want."

"How about I talk to him about it; we have been engaged for months and a date still has not been set, and now I am leaving. It's not really working out, and if this is how the engagement is like, then I can't imagine being his wife."

"Sounds like a plan. Let me know how it goes- ok"

"Deal." Satine departed to find Orrin. She found him in his study. "Orrin?"

He was still upset about their earlier conversation, but welcomed her in anyways. "What is it?"

"We need to talk about us. It's just not working…"

Orrin became annoyed. "Satine, it's been a long night and we could both use our rest, especially you since you are leaving tomorrow. We can discuss this once you get back."

Satine wanted to scream at him. "No, we really need to discuss this now."

"Satine, I know we have our differences and with everything going on, we have been in a short temper, but that does not mean that I don't love you. I do." He raised his hand to prevent Satine from cutting in. "When you get back, I promise you we can be married then. Now what did you want to say?"

Satine sighed heavily and said, "Fine, we can discuss it later, but heed my words when I say that I cannot promise you anything."

Orrin rolled his eyes. "Right, now is there anything else? I have a lot to get done before I turn in."

"Well since I am suddenly a nuisance, I will be leaving you. Good night." She left him before he could speak again. Her heart was heavy realizing the double meaning behind her last statement with Orrin. She maneuvered around the castle avoiding the guards until she found herself outside Eragon's bedchamber. When Eragon opened his door, she entered and told him about what had happened. Eragon understood the gravity of the situation and told her that she did not have to worry about him breaking his promise.

The trip to the Burning Plains was long and arduous. When they finally arrived, they set up camp and waited for Galbatroix's army to arrive. The third night on the plains, Satine found Eragon in his tent looking over a scroll. He had kept his promise truly making him a man of his word, a trait that Satine really admired. She herself kept her distance allowing herself to get to know him more.

She waited until Eragon looked up from the scroll before speaking. "What are you up to?" She was bored and wanted to find something to do. Earlier she was with Angela, but she could only be with her for so long after she got bored. The witch reminded her of Orrin and thinking of Orrin reminded her of their last conversation. It bothered her that her affections waned for him the more she fell in love with Eragon.

"Not a whole lot really. Just reading a scroll that Oromis gave me; it's been a while since I have sat down to read and I have gotten rusty. I was also going to practice writing as well."

Satine plopped down on his cot. "That bored, eh?"

"Shut up," he chuckled. "What are you doing here anyways?" He asked out of curiosity rather than being rude.

"Nothing to do, so I figured I see what you were up to." She looked around his tent aimlessly looking for anything that might catch her eye. When she saw nothing she asked, "What exactly are you reading anyways?"

"A book of spells. I figured some might prove handy in the upcoming battle."

"Ah." She fell back on his cot and stared up at the tent's ceiling. "Where's Saphira?"

"Hunting." When she remained silent, he resumed his reading.

Satine continued to stare at the ceiling, bored out of her mind. As she rummaged her brain for something to do, a tune from an old song popped into her head.

"What song is that?" Eragon asked. He was no longer at his desk and was standing at the edge of the cot.

"Huh?" Satine sat up, puzzled.

"The tune you were humming. What song is it?"

"I was humming?" She had no idea that she was voicing the song she heard in her head.

Eragon laughed. "Yes, you were humming, and very loudly too. You really are bored, aren't you?"

Satine's cheeks flushed red. "Sorry, I didn't mean to disturb you."

"It's fine. Please, tell me, what song it it? It was very beautiful."

Again she found herself blushing. "The song is called 'As Long As You're Mine.' It is from the epic entitled 'Wicked', a play that I got to see when I was a little girl. It is also a novel, but I liked the play much better."

"Do you think you can sing me the lyrics?" He was very curious what her singing voice would sound like.

"It is a duet, so keep that I mind." Eragon shook his head and sat down next to her. Then she began to sing the love ballad. The lyrics were romantic and listening to the words filled him with the longing to be with Satine in a more intimate setting. When she finished, he clapped his hands.

"Bravo."

"Thank you. Now I am sure you want to hear the back story, don't you?"

"Indeed, I do, but we can save that for another time. I should get back to my scroll." He pointed to his desk.

"Very well." She began to feel the sting of boredom again.

"You know…" Eragon leaped off the bed and rummaged through his pack until he had found what he was looking for. In his hand was a thick scroll. "This is a poem I wrote while I was with the elves. You can read it."

Her eyes brightened with excitement. "I didn't know you were a writer?" She took the scroll and unraveled it.

"Eh, I can't guarantee that it is very good." He shrugged.

"I will be the judge of that," she shooed him away as she began to read his work.


	9. Chapter 7: I Love You

Chapter 7

Eragon yawned and stretched his sore muscles. He had fallen asleep on his desk and had just woken up. He stood up and walked outside into the cool morning air not noticing Satine asleep on his bed. He stood outside and continued to stretch the way Oromis had taught him. About five minutes into his routine, he heard a panicked voice approaching him.

"Eragon, thank goodness you are awake, have you seen Satine by any chance? She is not in her tent and we have been frantic trying to find her." Nasuada said, panting.

Even after exercising, he was still very tired. "No, I haven't seen her at all."

"Well if you see her, let me know right away."

"Of course."

Nasuada nodded and started to walk away. Eragon stood there thinking of any place that Satine might have run off to. "Good morning, Eragon." The melodic voice penetrated Eragon's ears startling him. Turning around, he saw Satine yawn and shake her head trying to wake up. It was then that Eragon realized that she has fallen asleep in his tent.

"Oh, and Eragon…" Nasuada stopped short when she saw the princess with Eragon. She had turned around to ask Eragon a favor. "Eragon!"

Eragon knew how bad the scene looked and tried to find a way to explain to Nasuada that nothing happened between them last night. "Nasuada, I…"

"You said you didn't know where she was, and yet she emerged from your tent wearing the same clothes that she wore yesterday. I never thought you were the type who would take advantage of a woman! Wait until Orrin finds out about this…"

"Nasuada!" Satine yelled at the woman to get her attention. "How dare you accuse Eragon of such treachery? I was with him last night and he let me read a poem he had written and I fell asleep on his cot. While I was reading, he was going over spells that he could use in the upcoming battle. That is all that happened."

Nasuada looked both of them up and down. "Why did you say you did not know where she was when I asked you, Eragon?" It was obvious that she didn't buy what Satine had told her, even though it was the truth.

"I just woke up and I did not see her asleep!" He was on the defensive to preserve his honor, and more importantly, Satine's honor.

"Really?" Her sarcastic tone infuriated Satine.

"Ask Saphira if you don't believe us. She will not lie to you." Eragon was shocked by the venom in her voice and made a mental note to never make her upset.

The two women looked as if they were about to attack each other. "No. I will not do that, but you must swear to me that you are telling me the truth."

"I swear to you that we are telling the truth." Satine pleaded.

"Fine. Just don't let this happen again."

Satine scoffed at that but said, "I think you owe Eragon an apology."

Nasuada narrowed her eyes at Satine silently fuming. After a few moments she looked at Eragon. "I am sorry, O Dragon Rider. I hope that I have not offended you too greatly."

"Don't let it happen again." Satine smiled at the authority he assumed in that moment.

"Of course." Nasuada actually looked afraid as she dipped her head and left them.

"I'm sorry to have caused you so much trouble, Eragon." Satine was looking down at the ground, kicking at the dirt.

"No, I should have noticed you sleeping. It's my fault. Oromis said that if I am not fully aware of my surroundings, bad things happen. He was right." He sighed.

"Don't be so hard on yourself; mistakes happen."

"True, but if I make a mistake like that in battle, it can cost me my life."

The thought of Eragon dying tore at her heart. They were inside his tent again, totally alone. "Don't talk like that, it scares me."

Her words filled him with gladness and he smiled. "Sorry." He paused for a second then said, "You really care for me?"

Satine looked deep into his eyes. "I love you, Eragon, so yes, I care for you more than anyone." She approached him when her words left him speechless, and kissed his cheek. "I have to go, now. I will see you later, I hope." She then turned and left him to ponder what had happened.


	10. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

Galbatorix's army finally arrived. They made no attempt to attack first as they made camp a few miles away from the Varden. The king's army was vast, much larger than the Varden, but they did not have Eragon, which still gave the Varden hope, even if it was slim. Eragon put on his armor after he had put on Saphira's, ready to attack at any moment. He also placed wards around himself and Saphira as well as Nasuada, Orik, Arya and Satine. When night fell, he received order's to meet Nasuada at her tent.

"Ah, there you are Eragon." The woman looked exhausted and tried to hide her discomfort behind her dark brown eyes. Satine and Arya were there and so was Orik, the dwarf that Eragon had become good friends with. Saphira could not fit in the tent, so she stuck her head as far in as she could to see what was going on. Eragon had to admit that it was very awkward to stand in the presence Arya. He had already apologized for his actions in Ellesmera, but she still gave him the cold shoulder.

"I have called you here to tell you how proud I am to have you fight by my side. Also, I wish to say that whatever happens tomorrow-they had a notion that the Kings army would strike at dawn-you have to keep up your spirits. I was telling Satine that the people really look up to you, and if given the encouragement, they will fight by your side for as long as it takes to defeat the king's army."

Eragon respectfully inclined his head. "It is an honor, for the two of us," he pointed to Saphira, "to fight alongside you as well. We understand that we are outnumbered, and we intend to do whatever we can to tip the battle to our advantage." He had no idea how he would do that, but is seemed like a statement that would make her feel better about their predicament.

"Thank you. Orik has requested to have a band of his kin protect you whilst you are on Saphira. It is my deepest wish that you take his offer; you can use all the protection you can get."

Eragon turned his attention to the small bearded man. He had his battle axe with him, but his expression was gentle. "Of course I will accept your offer to have my brothers of the Dûrgrimst Ingeitum fight next to me." He clapped his fist to his chest and bowed his head.

Orik followed suit. "Hrothgar will be pleased to hear that we have the chance to protect you in battle. May your sword stay sharp, Argetlam!"

"And may your axe stay sharp, my brother." He looked back at Nasuada and said, "Is there anything else you wish to speak to me about?"

"No, but if you have anything to add, please address it now."

Eragon thought for a moment and decided to remind her that he had placed wards around her. "I have also placed wards around Arya, Satine and Orik as well."

"You have some around you and Saphira—"

"Of course." He nodded. "Also," he paused to look at Satine, "I need to know how protected Satine's mind is. As the king's daughter, any enemy magician will want to invade her mind for information."

"You want to probe her mind?" Nasuada never liked the idea of intruding into someone's head and gave Eragon a sour look.

"Yes, but only to see how strong her resistance will be. It will not take long, I promise."

Nasuada glanced at Satine, then sighed. "Very well. Do what you must."

"Satine, are you alright with this?" He had to be sure, otherwise he would feel guilty entering her sacred mind without permission.

"Yes. I cannot guarantee that my defense will be strong, but we can give it a try."

Eragon nodded. "Okay. This might hurt a little." He approached her and placed his hands on her shoulders. He stared into her eyes and allowed his consciousness to sweep into her mind. He was not shocked when he was blocked by an image of what seemed to be a play. The actors strutted across the stage in a dance. What he was viewing was Satine's memory of Wicked, the musical she mentioned to him the other night.

He tried to breach her barriers, but found it totally solid. _She has had much practice shielding her mind. _ He was about to withdraw when suddenly the image faded into thousands of thoughts, images, memories, and emotions. He was inside her mind.

_Eragon, I can hold my barriers for at least a few minutes until I begin to falter, so I am not as strong as you might think. _

It took him a second to realize that she was talking to him. _Why did you tear it down? I was about to withdraw._

_I guess I wanted you to know what my voice sounds like in your head so that if I ever needed to contact you this way, you will know my touch._

_Right, of course. That makes sense._

They severed their connection and he took a few steps back and turned his attention back to Nasuada. "She is strong enough, but could still use some more practice."

"Do you think it will be good enough to withstand in the upcoming battle if a magician should probe her?"

"Possibly. It depends on how strong the magician is and how close he is to Satine."

"Magic is very strange to me." She said mainly to herself. Speaking louder, she dismissed him saying to get some rest. "We could all use some sleep."

Orik followed Eragon and Saphira back to Eragon's tent. "If you permit me, I wish to stay with you in case we get a surprise attack."

"Of course," he smiled. He appreciated everything that Orik had done for him. "I hope you will be comfortable enough in my tent, I do not have much room."

"Don't worry about me. I will sleep outside your tent and alert you if I hear anything."

"As you wish." Eragon entered his tent, but instead of going to bed, he went to his rucksack and pulled out an old blanket. With the cloth in his hand, he exited his tent. "Here, take this then."

The dwarf took the blanket. "Thank you. Goodnight Eragon."

"Goodnight Orik. Saphira, keep him company." The sapphire dragon hummed and rested near Orik.

_I will, Little One. Rest well, tomorrow will be a long day._

_I know. Goodnight. _He entered his tent once more and sat down on his cot, his armor clanking. He hated to take it off for safety reasons, but at the same time, he found it very difficult to sleep in the metal clothing. So, he compromised. He took off his metal plates, but left his chain mail on. It still was not very comfortable, but he could still manage to sleep.

Satine crept carefully across the camp avoiding the sentries. She was heading towards Eragon's tent hoping to speak with him in private before dawn. When his tent was in view, she cursed silently to herself when she noticed Orik asleep outside the tent. _I must sneak in through the back._ She hid behind a tent as a guard walked by. If caught, she would not only be in big trouble with Nasuada, but the guards might open fire upon her in fear that she was from Galbatorix's army. The night was quite dark, so no one would know who she was at a distance. An alarm would be raised and when the Varden find out that it was just her sneaking around, they would want to have a very good explanation.

When the guard was far enough away, she ran from her hiding spot to the other side of the pathway. She then crouched behind the tents and walked until she was behind Eragon's. She opened the flap and entered after she made sure no one was around. She finally felt relief when she was safely inside his tent. It was so dark in the tent that she had to place her arms if front of her to feel where she was going.

Clang! The metallic sound rang across the once silent tent. Satine clenched her fists and tried to resist crying out in pain as her right toes throbbed. Eragon sprang up, a dagger in his hand. Outside, she heard Orik awaken as well as Saphira.

"Who's there?" Eragon demanded. He reached out with his mind and felt Satine's consciousness.

_It's only me. _ Her voice was mixed with fear, alarm, and pain. _I stubbed my toe on your armor._

"Where is he, I will tear him apart with my axe?" The dwarf barged in the tent, Saphira's head poking in above him, her teeth bared.

"At ease, it's only…"

"Satine." She finished.

"What on earth are you doing here, and in the middle of the night?" It was apparent that the dwarf was upset. After all, he was rudely woken up to find that it was a false alarm. Then there was the fact that it was by Satine, who should not only be in bed, but also should not be with the Rider in this manner.

"I'm sorry to have woken all of you up. I only wanted to see Eragon."

Orik scowled. "What for? You saw him earlier…"

"Orik, please." Eragon said, putting his dagger away.

Saphira snorted. _Eragon, you are well aware that I do not approve. _

_You know how I feel about her. I can't help that she is engaged._

_You must learn to control your emotions._

_Oh, like how you controlled them with Glaedr?_

Saphira growled. _At least I am not trying to woo one woman, and at the sight of another, decide to woo her too. _

_It's not like that…_

_Sure it isn't. Watch it, Eragon. This secret cannot be kept forever. Already Orik knows._

Eragon looked at the dwarf. "You will not tell anyone that we are together, will you?"

Orik took a few deep breaths to calm down. "You have gotten yourself into a mess, Eragon, but I will keep it secret. But you need to either end it, or reveal it. There will are no other options."

_He is right. At least listen to him if you refuse to listen to me._

"Enough!" Eragon was severely irritated. "Just leave us to talk in peace."

"Fine, provided that talking is the only thing that will go on." Orik left when Saphira withdrew her head.

_Don't you think for one second that I won't burst in again if I sense your emotions getting too wild._

_Goodnight, Saphira! _He hated to be so harsh with them, but he hated their accusations, even though they held some truth to them. Focusing on Satine again, he said softly, "Ignore them. Now, what is it you wished to talk to me about?" He was utterly unprepared when she flew into his arms sobbing.


	11. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

Eragon held Satine close and whispered into her ear. "It's going to be alright." He felt her shake her head.

"Orik is right. I should not be here, but I could not help it. I love you, Eragon, and I want to be with you."

"And, I want to be with you. Satine, no one can tell you how to feel."

"I know, but it's wrong. I am engaged to Orrin. We need to end it, for now." She started to withdraw from him, and as much as he wanted to keep her there, he released his grip on her. "I only came here to tell you to be careful; I don't know what I would do if I lost you." She turned to leave, crying out in pain. Eragon caught her before she collapsed.

"You really must have hurt yourself. Let me take a look at it." He placed her on his cot and then lit a small candle. He took off her boot and sock to reveal a few swollen and bruised toes. "Ouch." He winced.

Satine looked at her toes and groaned. "I didn't think it was that bad." She exclaimed in pain when Eragon examined the wound. "Ow! That hurts."

"Sorry, but I had to make sure you didn't break or sprain your toes."

"And?"

"You didn't. They are just badly bruised, which I can easily heal."

"No! You need your strength for tomorrow."

"Satine, a spell like this will barely tax me, and besides, people are going to wonder why you are suddenly limping."

"Everyone knows that I am a klutz sometimes. I can make something up."

"True, but I can't have you limping in battle."

She raised her finger about to make another excuse, but realized that he had a point. "I did not think about that."

"Of course not." He chuckled. "Now, do I finally have your permission to heal it?"

Satine nodded and whispered, "You're such a jerk."

Eragon laughed. "Fine, maybe I won't heal it." Satine gave him a dirty look. "Oh, I see how it is, and you called me a jerk."

"Just heal it already."

Eragon finally healed her toes. "There, happy now?" He was still trying to stifle his laugh.

Satine crawled onto his lap and rested her head against his shoulder, her back against his chest. "Now I am. Thank you." She smiled up at him.

He wrapped his arms around her. "You're welcome. I love you, Satine."

Satine could not bear it any longer. She knew that it was wrong, but it hurt her more to refrain from Eragon. She kissed him passionately on the lips. "So much for ending it." He said when they parted. He started into her beautiful eyes and could not help but to give in as he pressed his lips against hers. He held his blood race when their kissing intensified. At one point, he felt raise his had until he was touching one of her breasts. Satine never felt more alive as her hormones raged and she let out a moan. She parted her lips and felt his tongue brush against hers. For a while they let their tongues dance together.

It was Eragon who pulled away. He felt himself succumbing even further and had to stop before he got to the point of no return. He was unsure why Saphira had not stopped him sooner, but he dismissed the thought as he cradled Satine. "I love you."

"I love you too." She sat there unwilling to get up. "Do I have to go?"

"I don't want you to go either, but you really should. We need sleep." She nodded and slowly got up. "Be careful sneaking around."

"I will." She kissed him once more before departing.

Satine made her way across the camp, wishing that their tents were closer together. Safely inside her tent, she washed the sweat off her face and lay down where sleep took her into the world of dreams.


	12. Chapter 10: The Battle Begins

Chapter 10

The sound of a horn awoke Satine. She shot up in bed, panting. When she realized what the sound was, she quickly got up and put on her armor. Grabbing her sword, she left her tent to look for Nasuada. She found her giving orders to Jormundur, who was in charge of the cavalry. When Nasuada finished, he bowed. "Be careful milady." He then turned to Satine. "You be careful as well. I heard word from Orrin, he is worried about you and sends his love. Would you like to send him a message back?"

Satine forced a smile and nodded. "Tell him that I want him to be careful as well." Jormundur nodded and said nothing when she mentioned no sentiments of love. When the commander left, she faced Nasuada, "What would you like me to do?"

"I want you to come with me. We will lead the foot soldiers. Eragon is on his own and will be working on defeating Galbatorix's spell casters." Nasuada led them to a makeshift stable where their horses rested. They were both saddled and had some armor. Satine mounted Chestnut and led him out of the tent. Nasuada followed behind her and soon took the lead. They galloped towards the battlefield where Galbatorix's vast army waited for them. Satine swallowed past the lump in her throat.

The Varden's men and women filed in behind them, as planned. Jormundur and his cavalry were at the far end of the line. She saw Eragon, Saphira, and the dwarves as well as Angela and Arya. They all had hard expressions that hid their nervousness. She took a deep breath and unsheathed her sword, ready to fight. Nasuada unleashed her battle cry that sent them all charging towards Galbatorix's army. Her blade met with her enemies as she began forging a path of dead bodies. Her stomach lurched at the smell of blood, but she managed to refrain from vomiting.

For the next hour, she did nothing but hack away at her enemies. The screams started to become normal as did the smell death. She made sure to stay close to Nasuada, but at times she found herself becoming surrounded by soldiers. Another hour passed in the same manner, until she felt pressure inside her head. Instinctively, she guarded her mind, but the task was not so easy while she hacked away at her enemies as well.

Soon, her head buzzed and her vision started to become fuzzy. She shook her head to try to stay focused, but failed. Chestnut neighed violently, and stood on his hind legs, kicking with his front legs at the soldiers. A sword found its way into the horses flesh and sent Satine flying to the ground as he squirmed in pain.

Satine groaned and rolled onto her back, looking up at the soldiers surrounding her. "Looks like you lost, little princess." The next few seconds felt like hours. She felt her defenses break within her mind as the magician broke through, and she saw a blade coming down upon her. She heard herself scream as her life flashed through her eyes thinking that she was going to die. An angry voice cut through the haze. She felt herself being lifted onto a horse and then everything went black.

When she awoke, she learned that she was not in among allies. A middle aged man pored over her with black eyes and crooked smile. She tried to move, but found herself chained. "Stop struggling," the man hissed.

"Who are you?"

"No one of consequence."

"What do you want?"

"I don't need anything from you right now; you already gave me all the information earlier when you opened up your mind to me."

Satine let out a cry. "Then why do you have me chained up like some animal?"

"To ensure that you will not get away before my master arrives." The man pointed a bony, dirty, finger at her. Satine became pale and tears streamed down her face as she trembled. "Good, you should be afraid."

Satine only waited about ten minutes before she heard a swooping noise, followed by a growl. Her heart leapt for joy at the thought of Eragon coming to rescue her, but the magician seemed untroubled, which confused her. "Why aren't you afraid? You cannot defeat the mighty Dragon Rider."

He laughed. "You foolish girl. That is not Eragon, it is…" He was cut off when a young man with black hair and brown eyes entered the tent.

"Murtagh?" Satine yelled. "How is this possible? I heard that you died?"

"You heard wrong. Unbind her." The magician unclasped her hands, and after, she charged at Murtagh. He grabbed her by the arms before she could hit him.

"Why are you working for the King? You hate him."

"I have no choice. I have orders to take you and Eragon to Galbatorix."

"No!" She screamed as he dragged her out of the tent. At the sight of the huge, ruby red dragon, she fought harder, but to no avail. Murtagh managed to get her onto the saddle with him, and before she knew it, she was soaring through the air towards the Varden.


	13. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

Satine held on to Murtagh to keep from falling off the dragon, which was named Thorn. The altitude scared her to death, so she did her best not to look down, and when she did, she took deep breaths to try to calm herself down. Her screaming annoyed Murtagh, but he did nothing to shut her up. He was wearing a helmet and had his sword drawn read to face his opponent: Eragon.

Eragon noticed the red dragon before he heard its deafening roar. He mounted Saphira, already exhausted after defeating many of the kings spell casters trying to locate Satine. After she was captured, his main focus has been to locate her. It took him some time before he could see another figure on the dragon. As soon as he noticed that it was Satine, he told Saphira to fly faster.

The two dragons, red and blue, finally met, their rider's analyzing one another. "Eragon!" Satine screamed. She was happy and nervous at the same time. Before she could speak again, Thorn arched his neck and belched his red-hot fire at Eragon and Saphira. The flames did not harm either one as the blue dragon dodged out of the way, and dived up towards Thorn's soft stomach.

Thorn growled in pain upon the sudden impact sending him spiraling. Saphira chased after him and almost managed to bite his tail, but was hit with an explosion. Eragon would have used magic to deflect Murtagh's spell, but was worried that he might hit Satine. He hated to be so vulnerable, but he could not think of anything that he could do. The new Rider was already stronger than him, which left him utterly confused.

The two dragons wrestled in the air for the upper hand for several minutes. A few times, Eragon reached out towards Satine, but was never able to grab her hand. Suddenly, Thorn flipped backwards sending his rider's upside down. Murtagh was completing a spell with one hand while his other hand was on his sword, so no support was given to Satine except her feeble attempt to hold on. She tried to catch the saddle, but her hand slipped and she fell off.

Eragon watched in horror as Satine's body flew through the air. Saphira immediately dived after the her, racing against Thorn. Eragon barely caught her by the hand before the other Rider swooped in. His arm raged in pain after catching her in midair and was pretty sure that he pulled a muscle, but he did not care; he was only glad that he caught her before she hit the ground below.

Satine looked up at him as she dangled there waiting for him to pull her up. He did, slowly, and as soon as she was safe in his arms, she wrapped her arms around him in a tight embrace. "For the second time today, I thought I was going to die." She whispered frantically into his ear.

"We need to get you onto the ground before I can battle the other Rider." He said, trying to think how to do that as safely as possible.

"He doesn't want to kill you, Eragon, he wants to take you to the King."

The red dragon roared to gain their attention. Eragon glared his rival with disgust. "Sit behind me and hang on tight." Satine nodded weakly and maneuvered around him. When she was sitting as snug as she could behind him, she placed her arms around his stomach and squeezed. "Ready?" He cocked his head to look back her her. Again, she nodded. Saphira took off, Satine's stomach became queasy once more. Eragon led Saphira around the other dragon, and as he did so, he looked for any place suitable to land.

"There!" Eragon pointed to a large plateau. "Land right there!" Acknowledging his command, Saphira began to dive towards the rock. A blast of energy from behind singed her tail. The blue dragon yelped in pain and she tilted to the side to avoid another blast. Satine nuzzled closer to Eragon, shrieking in fear every time something hit them. Her only comfort was that she was with Eragon.

Finally, Saphira was able to land. With a skid, she halted to a stop. Eragon quickly jumped off Saphira and raised his arms to catch Satine when she jumped. Murtagh and Thorn landed soon after Satine was on solid ground. He dismounted and strode towards them. Eragon pushed Satine behind him, and drew his sword ready to defend her.

Murtagh laughed and took off his helmet. "You look ridiculous, Eragon."

Eragon's face paled as he witnessed his old friend before him. "No…you're dead. We found scraps of your clothing covered in blood in Farthen Dur!"

Murtagh finished laughing before he replied. "The King took pity on me and took me under his wing once Thorn hatched for me. He managed to learn my True name, so now I am forced to do his bidding. I am here to take you, your dragon, and Satine to the King. By my honor as a Rider, I will not kill either one of you…" He paused for a second, then hastily added, "At least, not today."

"Traitor! I trusted you; we all did!" Eragon felt sick at the thought of having Murtagh as his enemy. He held up the shimmering red blade in front of him, but was unwilling to use it.

Murtagh stared at the sword for a moment, then shook his head to clear his thoughts. "I never wanted this, but there is nothing I can do about it now."

"Yes there is, you can let us go."

"That is impossible, and you know that. I know the elves taught you just how powerful your True name is, and if revealed to another, that person can have complete control over you. Do you deny that fact?"

"No, but there are always loopholes. Just like with the ancient language, you can maneuver around until you still fulfill your quest without actually doing so." In his mind, his statement made complete sense, but verbalizing it sounded confusing, and he hoped Murtagh grasped what he was trying to say.

"I know what you mean, but that is much more difficult than you might think." Murtagh raised his sword. "You will have to fight me. If you win, you are free to go, otherwise, I have to kidnap the three of you."

Saphira scoffed. _And how do you think you can accomplish that?_ Murtagh smirked, and pointed at Satine. Anger arose within the mighty dragon. _Look where your stupid affair has led us! If he captures Satine again, you are going to go after him to get her back, leading us straight to the King!_

_This is no time to debate the matter. I am not going to let him take Satine!_

_Then you have doomed us all._

Saphira's lack of confidence pained him, but he had to push his feelings to the side to focus on Murtagh. "If you want her, you have to get through me first!" He swung his sword and their blades collided.


	14. Chapter 12

**Lover of the Legacy: A Hidden Desire**

**Chapter 12**

Murtagh laughed, "You are too slow; you will have to do much better than that if you wish to defeat me." Sweat already began to bead Eragon's brow as he struggled to gain the upper-hand. He had underestimated his opponent and it greatly hindered him. Still, he continued to press forward, unwillingly giving up.

Satine watched with a sinking heart as she stood next to Saphira, who eyed the sword-dancing pair intensely. Her demeanor was rigid, ready to jump in and help Eragon if such a moment should arise. Several minutes had passed with no improvement. Eragon constantly defended himself rather than issue the initial blows, weakening him. Each passing moment felt like years as the fight wore on.

Impressed Murtagh said, "You have battered against me longer than I expected, Eragon, but I presume you will not hold out much longer."

"I will fight you for however long it takes; I will not allow you to take us hostage." Eragon parried a blow and jumped to the left, avoiding another.

"You are brave, however, you cannot continue on forever…"

"Neither can you," Eragon interrupted.

"The King gave me an order, and I cannot break it. If I had my own free will, I would not be fighting you right now. Alas, here we are and nothing can change that."

"And nothing will deter me from protecting Satine." Eragon dared a glance at her, his determination rising as her sullen visage fueled his mission. Ten minutes passed without much incident, that is, until Eragon became too weak allowing Murtagh to knock the sword from Eragon's grip. With flared nostril's, Eragon breathed heavily from exhaustion and anger.

The tip of Murtagh's sword was less than an inch from Eragon's neck. Shaking his head, Eragon said, "I will not surrender."

"There is no need since I will take what I came for with force." Before Eragon could react, Murtagh muttered a phrase in the Ancient Language and then began to walk over to Satine. No matter how hard Eragon tried, he could not move. "This is very dirty, Murtagh. Are you afraid that in my weak state you cannot best me? Ha! You are a coward." Murtagh swung around, almost slicing Eragon with his sword.

"You may be weak, but your dragon is not, so hold your tongue," Murtagh snapped. Saphira roared—a fierce sound that shook the land—when she was unable to move as well.

_He will regret what he has done once I get free from this bondage_, Saphira growled.

Satine had nowhere to run. Trapped, Murtagh grabbed her by the arm and began dragging her towards Thorn. Though it was pointless, she still felt the need to vocalize her distress, "Let go of me! Stop! You're hurting me!" As her struggling became violent, Murtagh grabbed her by the arm, squeezing hard.

"The less you struggle, the easier this will be."

"Why should I make your job easy, hmm? As long as I am held captive, I will make your life as miserable as possible."

Murtagh sighed, the pain in his eyes evident. "I really am sorry that I have to do this."

"If you are sorry, then find a way to end this madness!" Eragon protested, still trying to wriggle free from his invisible bondage.

"It is not that simple, Eragon." He turned to look back at Satine, her eyes full of rage. "I will be gentle if you stop your fidgeting."

Satine rolled her eyes, "As if gentleness is what I want."

Murtagh gave up trying to reason with her and was about to start leading her towards his dragon when Eragon said, "I never said it was easy, but you should still try." The distraction was enough for Satine to punch Murtagh in the face. The sudden impact was enough to divert Murtagh away from the spell he had cast upon Eragon and Saphira. Breaking free from his grip, Satine ran over to Eragon, holding him tightly. Her hand throbbed in pain, but she ignored it to focus on the situation at hand.

Cursing, Murtagh wiped the blood that trickled out of his nose, thankful it was not broken. Shifting his gaze, he looked at the two lovers. Eragon whispered something in her ear, the young woman nodding in agreement. Unsure what they were planning, Murtagh carefully watched them. Suddenly, they pulled apart, Satine running towards Saphira and Eragon diving and rolling to where Za'roc lay upon the stone plateau. Unfortunately, Murtagh reacted quickly, grabbing Za'roc before Eragon.

Without thinking, Eragon recited the same spell Murtagh had used, immobilizing Murtagh. _Eragon, no!_ It was too late. He had finished the incantation, the energy leaving his body instantaneously. Gasping, Eragon held the spell in place, the veins in his neck bulging from the strain. "Do you surrender?" He managed to ask through clenched teeth. Dizziness began to envelope him as his strength began to rapidly deplete.

_Eragon, you should not have done that, the spell is too much for you to handle._

Eragon ignored Saphira as he repeated his question. Murtagh cursed at his foolishness, but was forced to give in. "You may have succeeded this time, but this is not over yet."

"Do I have your word that once I release you, you will not try to re-capture us?" Only after Murtagh promised in the Ancient Language did Eragon finally release him. Eragon motioned at his sword, "Give it here."

"I never promised to give you back your sword, well actually, this should be _my_ sword." Eragon was about to say something when Murtagh cut him off to say, "The sword of Morzan should have gone to his eldest son, not his youngest."

Eragon clenched his fists, "You lie!" His face paled when Murtagh recited what he had said in the Ancient Language. "No, this cannot be."

"Whether you accept it or not, we are brothers."

Eragon tried to keep his composure as tears began to congregate behind his eyes. Throwing up his hands, Eragon turned on his heal and stomped over to Saphira. Saphira recoiled at his bitterness, saying nothing as she leapt off the plateau. Behind them, Murtagh and Thorn departed in the opposite direction. The departure of Murtagh ended the battle, the weary men from the Varden making their way back to camp.

Eragon collapsed on his bed as his weariness took full affect. Satine rushed over to him, but he was already unconscious. Lost in his own subconscious, he could barely hear Satine calling out his name. Over time, her voice became louder and louder until he jolted awake, his heart racing. "How long was I out?"

"Only an hour." Satine was sitting upon his bed holding a cool wet rag. "You were a little warm, so I stayed to make sure you would be all right. Nasuada should be here soon." Despite his sore muscles, Eragon sat up, placing his weight on his elbows.

"Thank you," he said, softly.

Satine nodded, and then said, "You really should not have pushed yourself so hard earlier, but I am glad you did."

Eragon's closed his eyes, shaking his head, "I would never have been able to have him stand down without you. How is your hand by the way?"

"Bruised, but otherwise it's fine, and no, you cannot heal it. Not until you get your full strength back."

Eragon chuckled a little. "If you say so." Unsure what to say next, his mind began to wander. As he broached the topic of Murtagh, his demeanor changed. "Do you really think he was telling the truth?"

"Who, Murtagh? I don't know, but it should not matter who your father is. Try not to let it bother you." She placed her left hand upon his right shoulder, her eyes softy gazing into his.

"I will try, though it is a hard concept to simply dismiss."

"I know. I just do not want this be a hindrance on you. Who cares if _he_ is your father—you are nothing like him."

The sound of the tent flap opening alerted the couple, Satine quickly lifting her hand off Eragon's shoulder. Standing up, she placed the rag she was holding in a bowl of water that was sitting on a night stand. Nasuada hesitated for a moment, observing the two, before recollecting herself. "Eragon, I am glad you and Satine are all right. I was worried sick when I saw the red dragon and his rider after Satine was taken captive."

"Thanks. Nasuada, you should know that the new rider is Murtagh." The woman stiffened.

"I thought he was dead?"

"So did I. He wanted to take Satine, Saphira, and I to the king."

"And he failed…"

"No, Murtagh is stronger than me. The only reason Satine and I barely escaped his grasp is because Satine managed to sock him in the face distracting him enough to release a spell he had cast upon Saphira and I. He had immobilized us—literally. No, Murtagh is not to be underestimated and I fear that I may not become strong enough by the time he shows up again."

Nasuada rubbed her temples. "This is a serious situation."

"Aye," Eragon sighed.

"Well, rest up for now. We can discuss this later." Eragon shook his head. "Come, Satine, let us leave him." Without complaint, Satine followed Nasuada out of the tent.


	15. Chapter 13: Good Advice

**Lover of the Legacy: A Hidden Desire**

**Chapter 13**

Eragon stood dumbfounded before his cousin Roran. He looked much older than Eragon remembered, his long and arduous journey depicting its physical toll on the young man. His beard was un-kept and his clothes dirtied and torn, but otherwise, he looked healthy enough. While Eragon was engaged with Murtagh, Roran had landed ashore after sailing for many weeks along with the villagers of Carvahall.

Nasuada took her leave, allowing the cousins to catch up with one another. "I cannot believe you are here," Eragon finally said, walking closer to Roran to embrace him. Roran stiffened at the contact, exposing his anger. "You have a right to blame me, Roran, but I was only doing what I thought was the right thing."

"My father is dead and Katrina was taken captive because of you!" Roran growled, pointing his finger at his cousin.

Eragon sighed and looked at the ground, "And for that I am sorry."

"An apology will not bring them back." Roran said, balling up his fists.

Looking up, Eragon became on the defensive. "Do you think that I do not regret what happened? What is done, is done, but I will help you rescue Katrina. By my honor as a Rider, I will help you. You are my family, Roran; I look upon you as my brother, I will never completely abandon you."

Roran scoffed, "Right, so leaving Carvahall was not abandoning me…"

"I was trying to protect you," Eragon protested.

"And look how well that worked."

"What would you have had me do? I could not stay in Carvahall and risk exposing Saphira…"

"No, you should have told us—Garrow and I—about Saphira. We would not have liked the idea, but we would have helped you, since, as you stated earlier, we are family. But, you had to keep it a secret and look where that got us!"

"I wanted to tell you, but I was unsure _how_ to tell you."

"Yeah, because you were a coward." Eragon began to feel his anger rise at his cousin's accusation. Yet, he understood Roran's contempt and did not further upon the topic.

"Do you want me to help you, or not?" Eragon finally asked.

"Of course I do, though, do not expect me to forgive you anytime soon."

Eragon nodded. "All right. I will discuss the matter with Nasuada and report back to you in a few hours."

"Fine." Roran brushed passed Eragon and walked out of the tent. The transaction between his cousin had gone better than he expected, but it still pained him to know just how angry Roran was with him. He vowed to make things right between them, no matter what. Nasuada popped her head in to see if Roran was gone, and seeing that Eragon was alone, she walked in.

"What is on your mind, Eragon?" Nasuada may have been his leader, but she still regarded him as a friend and wanted to make sure that he was all right.

"I need permission to leave with Roran. His fiancé, Katrina, was captured by the Ra'zac and I promised to help him. Will you let me leave?"

Nasuada crossed her arms. "Apparently I must since your mid is already made up. Denying you your request only to have you leave on your own accord will make me have to punish you when you return. I cannot allow that to happen. Your request in dangerous, however, it is necessary. Go and help him, but be quick about it!"

Eragon bowed, said his thanks, and then, darted off to find Satine. He found her helping the villagers of Carvahall settle into the camp. Upon his arrival, she smiled. "Good, we could use your help."

When he did not respond, Satine excused herself from a group of women. Stepping closer to Eragon, but not too close, she whispered, "What's wrong."

Eragon wished he could talk to her in private, but that would cause even more suspicion, so trying to sound nonchalant, he said, "I will be leaving for a few days. My cousin needs my help to rescue his fiancé from the Ra'zac. I need you to help take care of the villagers while I am gone."

Roran was standing nearby, talking with Horst, when he noticed Eragon with Satine. Having already been introduced to the woman, he understood her importance and learned that she was engaged to King Orrin. Having a clear view of the two, he was able to see their facial expressions, but was unable to hear their conversation. His jaw nearly dropped when he caught Satine's distraught look.

He had seen that look before on Katrina every time he told her some ill news. Watching them made his heart ache even more for his beloved and he disliked the idea that Eragon had his lover near while he did not. Roran was able to relate to the situation; even though he knew what his cousin was going was wrong. Still, he had done some shameful things as well and decided not to harp on his cousin about it, though he should at least warn him the trouble he will be in if caught.

Unwillingly, Eragon parted from Satine to talk with Roran. "Whenever we are ready, we can leave."

Roran nodded and started to pack for the trip. At dawn the next day, the two men departed, flying on Saphira.

The campfire popped, sending sparks in all directions. Roran sat across from Eragon fiddling with a piece of wood. They had been silent for a while just staring at the fire. At long last, Roran sighed and said, "Thank you for helping me."

The sudden noise made Eragon jump. Settling back down, he replied. "You're welcome." Feeling awkward, he said nothing else.

"Look, I am sorry about the other day; I was just so upset. Anyways, I should not have been so harsh. Not all of it was your fault. At the time, you seemed like the best one to blame."

Eragon stared blankly at his cousin, surprised by his sudden apology. "I would have acted the same had I been in your shoes."

"Then, we understand one another, yes?"

Though the question was rhetorical, Eragon still nodded to show that he was listening. "Good." Roran said. "Now, I am most curious, how did you meet Satine?"

At the mention of her name, Eragon's expression hardened. _I do not like where he is going with this_, he thought. Next to him, Saphira opened one of her orb-like eyes.

_What have I been telling you, Eragon, your affair with Satine will not remain in the shadows for very long. _

Shifting his position on the log he was sitting on, Eragon said, "I met her in Aberon."

"Hmm." Roran threw the stick into the fire and looked directly at his cousin. "Was she engaged before or after you met her?"

Narrowing his eyes, Eragon said, "Stop beating around the bush and admit that you learned of my secret." Crossing his arms, Eragon diverted his gaze.

Roran sighed, "I am not going to lecture you; I just want to know the truth."

"Fine," Eragon said, still uncomfortable about the conversation.

"So, when was she engaed?"

"Before I arrived. She didn't think she would meet anyone better than Orrin, so she agreed. She also wanted to help her people, giving her another reason to say yes. Then, I arrived and stole her heart."

"Why didn't she just break the engagement?" His question was legit, but it still annoyed Eragon.

"She tried! The night she went to talk to him, he pushed her away telling her that they can discuss their wedding once she returned."

"Returned?" Roran asked.

"Orrin stayed in Aberon while Satine marched with his troops alongside the Varden."

"Since they would be apart, you figured you could be with her—correct?"

"No, not exactly…"

"Oh?" Roran cocked his head, curious.

"For weeks we managed to keep our distance, hoping that she could return soon and cancel the engagement. When that did not happen, we no longer were able to refrain from one another, and well, we have been seeing each other whenever we can."

"Aside from me, does anyone else know?"

Eragon shook his head, "Orik knows." Eragon explained to Roran who Orik was before saying, "I do not know what to do. I know we cannot keep this up, but how can we reveal our secret without letting on about how long our affair lasted?"

"I do not think there is a way you can avoid that, however, you can present the situation as delicately as possible. No one can help who they fall in love with, so emphasize that fact. You need to also mention that your intentions were honorable; reminding him that Satine did try to talk to him about the issue. This way, he cannot shift all the blame on you once he realizes that he did dismiss Satine." Roran's knowledge regarding relationships astounded Eragon, who listened carefully to his cousin's advice. When Roran finished, asking Eragon how far his relationship had gone, he found himself pleased with the advice he had given.

Knowing he would be unable to lie to Roran, he told the utter truth. "We have not made love, but we have come close, which is why Orrin needs to know, else we may cave. I do not want to get to that point."

"Aye, it is bad enough that you two have been together in intimate settings. Well, do your best to resist temptation. In due time, your secret shall me known and you two can be together."

"Provided that he does not kill us," Eragon said, trying to lighten the conversation.

Roran laughed. "That is true."

Silence took over once they had nothing else to day. With a yawn, Eragon decided to get some sleep. Roran had mentioned earlier that he would keep first watch. Crawling under his covers, Eragon said, "Good night."

"Sleep well. I need you well rested for tomorrow." Soon after, Eragon succumbed to the world of dreams.


	16. Chapter 14

**Lover of the Legacy: A Hidden Desire**

**Chapter 14**

Satine tried not to think about Eragon's absence, but she still ended up thinking about him constantly. As instructed, she helped the villagers of Carvahall get settled in, a task that took several days. As she worked, she conversed with the villagers, curious who Eragon had grown up with. Many of her conversations where about their journey, a long story that she had to fit together as she heard bits and pieces from different people. When she had exhausted that topic, she decided to ask about their feelings towards Eragon.

She was not surprised when several cursed his name, blaming him for their misfortune. Every time that happened, she felt inclined to correct them. "Eragon only did what he thought best," she said to a middle aged man with graying hair and green eyes. He only grunted and walked away, his wife shuffling after him. Sighing heavily, she returned to her duties.

Several days later, she heard news that Saphira was spotted in the distance. Becoming giddy, she exited her tent, running towards the edge of the camp. A crowd was already starting to gather as the dragon drew closer to her destination. She was later joined by Nasuada and Arya, who expressed their sense of relief upon his prompt return.

Long minutes passed, the anticipation inside Satine growing stronger and stronger.

_Thund._ Saphira landed before them, but Eragon was nowhere to be seen. Fear gripped Satine as her hands became clammy and her knees weakened. The couple jumped down from the dragon, Roran catching Katrina with his strong arms. Nasuada, Arya, and Satine remained quiet as they approached.

"Milady, allow me to introduce Katrina." Roran said, before explaining Eragon's absence.

Nasuada acknowledged the young woman to avoid being rude, but immediately shifted the conversation afterward. "Where is Eragon?"

With a sigh Roran began. "For reasons unknown, Eragon insisted that he remain in Helgrind. He said that there was something that he needed to take care of and told us to leave him. Saphira and I both tried to reason with him, but he ran off through a tunnel before Saphira could snatch him with her talons."

Satine felt sick, her head spinning. Placing her hand upon her lips, she swallowed back the bile that ascended her throat, tears forming at her eyes. In their shock, Nasuada and Arya did not notice Satine's behavior. "When will he be back?" Nasuada demanded her tone a little harsh.

"Saphira gave him three days before she would come after him."

"Three days…" Nasuada stopped herself from continuing further. Recollecting herself, she thanked Roran for the information.

The man nodded and sneaked a glance at Satine, his eyes full of sympathy. In the back of his mind, he noted that he will pay her a visit in hopes to comfort her. Taking Katrina by the hand, he led her away from the women.

Nasuada turned and was about to walk away, stopping once her eyes fell on Satine. Arya shifted her attention as well, wondering what had caught the leader's attention. Satine wiped her eyes, ignoring the looks from the people around her, locking her eyes on Saphira. _Why?_

For the first time in weeks, Saphira gazed upon Satine with gentleness. _All will be explained in due time._

_Of course._ Satine shook her head and left the two gaping women and the dragon.

Nasuada found Satine lying on her bed staring at the ceiling, a line of salt crusted tears on her cheeks. After talking with Arya, they came to the same conclusion: Satine was in love with Eragon. Knowing that she had to do something, she found it prudent to talk to Satine. Slipping into the tent, she crossed her arms, waiting for the woman to respond.

"Satine, look at me!" Nasuada snapped, tired of being ignored.

"Go away," Satine said, rolling over to stare at the tent's wall rather than the ceiling.

Fuming, Nasuada marched up to the bed and pressed down upon the woman's shoulder making her return to her previous position. Satine's eyes bored into hers, sending a chill down her spine. "You need to stop this," Nasuada hissed.

Satine finally sat up, her fists clenched. "Why should I? Hmm?"

Rubbing her temples, Nasuada replied. "King Orrin will be arriving tomorrow. I was going to leave that as a surprise, but, apparently you no longer have an interest in him."

Groaning, Satine plopped down on her bed. With her hands covering her face she said, "Let him come. I am tired of hiding this secret anyways."

"So, you admit your love for Eragon?"

Uncovering her face, Satine looked straight at Nasuada. Her voice softening, "Freely. Ha!" She exclaimed, standing up. "I am no longer afraid to let people know of my love for Eragon. Let it be known so that I can stop living in the shadows."

Satine's manic behavior startled Nasuada. "So, I was right about you two when I caught you in his tent that one day." She said, raising her voice. "I should have known that you had lied to me considering how many excuses you made to see him. How could you sneak behind Orrin's back like this?"

"You know nothing about us!" Satine yelled. "What gives you the right to come in here and criticize me? Who do you think you are? What, you think you are some saint—that you are not capable of falling into temptation? I never asked to fall in love with him; it just happened.

"You have no idea what it is like to love someone so much that you can hardly breathe when they are away! You have no idea what it is like to strength and comfort in someone no matter how bad your day was. You have no idea what it is like for someone to risk everything to save you, because his love is strong.

"Eragon saved me in more ways than you can ever imagine. Denying or withholding my love for him would be a crime against love. I would have been living two lies instead of one, and I could not do that; my heart would not allow it. I tried to cancel my engagement with Orrin beforehand, but you know what? He did not want to listen to me. Therefore, he practically initiated the affair! And I am the one to blame? Bah!"

Nasuada stood stock-still at Satine's breakdown, but inside, her anger flared. When Satine had finished, she said, "Do not accuse Orrin for your sin! Tomorrow, he will know the truth and he can punish you the way that he deems fit."

"Punished? So I am to be punished because I fell in love? This is outrageous!"

"No, what is outrageous is that you conducted your love affair right under our noses. You are an engaged woman, Satine, and you should have behaved as such."

Rolling her eyes, Satine said, "I will not apologize for loving Eragon, but I will apologize for the hurt I will have caused Orrin."

"Do you think a mere apology will change anything? Saying sorry will not ease his mine. You should, however, break it off with Eragon and resume your duties as his fiancé."

"What part of, 'I do not love him' aren't you getting?" Satine growled. "I will not marry him."

"How do you think the people will react once they learn of this affair? You and Eragon are vital to our success, and the people will look up to you. This will undermine your credibility significantly! I thought you cared for your people? What changed?"

"Nothing!" Satine threw up her hands. "I have a duty to my heart as well as my people."

"I give up!" Nasuada exclaimed, admitting defeat. "I will allow King Orrin to deal with you."

She was about to leave the tent when Satine said something that stopped her in her tracks. Spinning around, she asked, "What did you just say?"

"I asked you why you are pushing this marriage. When we announced our engagement, you were not keen about the idea, and now you are encouraging it. Also, I have never witnessed you defend Orrin like this. What say you, Lady Nasuada?"

"I have nothing to say upon that matter except that…"

"Except that you fancy Orrin." Satine narrowed her eyes studying the woman. As she expected, Nasuada began to protest against the accusation, her emotions giving her away. "Do not lie after you spent the past several minutes criticizing me!" she screeched.

"I am not going to argue with you further. I have other matters to attend to." Then, without looking back, she exited the tent.

Roran waited until Nasuada was out of sight before he entered Satine's tent. "Leave me alone!" She turned to look at the intruder. "Oh! Sorry, I thought you were Nasuada," she said after realizing that it was Roran who had entered the tent.

"It's all right. I heard your arugument." Satine's face paled. Placing up his hands he said, "I am not here to criticize you. Trust me, I know how it feels. There are some things that I had done that were not very respectable, but I did it anyways to be with Katrina."

Satine let her guard down after Roran had reassured her of his intentions. "What is it that you came here for?"

Roran thought for a moment and then said, "Eragon went to great lengths to help me. You mean just about everything to him. I wanted to make sure that you were all right, for his sake."

"I will be fine as soon as Eragon returns."

"I figured as much."

"How did you find out about us?"

"He did not tell me, if that is what you mean. I figured it out when I saw you two together."

"Oh." Satine stared at the ground, fumbling with her hands.

Unable to bear her sadness, Roran walked closer to her and lifted up her chin. "Stay strong, Satine. Eragon will be pleased when he learns of your fidelity towards him. I am glad he has found a woman like you—a woman who is not afraid to love and be loved in return."

"What I did was wrong, Roran," she said, stepping back.

"Yes, but love does not listen to reason. Come now, chin up. Everything will work out in the end, you'll see."

As she listened to Roran, she noticed how similar he was to his cousin. "Eragon is fortunate to have a cousin like you."

Roran smiled at her flattery. "And I am fortunate to have a cousin like him."

"Thank you Roran, for everything." Once he was satisfied that he had cheered her up enough, he left.


	17. Chapter 15

**Lover of the Legacy: A Hidden Desire**

**Chapter 15**

The crowd cheered as King Orrin's procession came into view. He wore his armor, his blue cloak bellowing behind him, and his golden crown upon his head. He was weary from traveling, but faked his discomfort long enough to appease the people of the Varden. A few hundred of his men walked behind him. Nasuada was glad that he had come since the Empire had dealt them a terrible blow a few days ago. The arrival of King Orrin gave the Varden a little more hope.

Nasuada, Arya, and Satine stood at the end of the procession. Upon seeing his fiancé, Orrin smiled. He missed her greatly and looked forward to spending time with her, much like old times. Of course, in the middle of a war, things could never be like old times. Still, he was anxious to catch up with her and discuss the details of their wedding.

Stopping before the women, Orrin slid off his horse to greet them. "How fares you, Lady Nasuada?" He asked, trying to sound as cheery as possible. Her indifference dampened his spirits. "I understand it has been difficult for you, and I hope that we can turn this war around while I am here. I managed to defend Aberon, leaving only when word spread of the new dragon rider. At that point, I knew you needed help."

"Thank you for coming, King Orrin," she curtsied.

Bowing his head, he said, "It was no problem at all." After he had acknowledged Arya, the elven ambassador, she focused his attention upon Satine. "How have you been since we parted?" Satine held her composure as guilt weighed upon her.

In a serious tone she said, "Orrin, we need to talk—in private."

Orrin shook his head and dismissed his troops, following Satine. She led him into her tent sat down upon her bed, her eyes staring at the floor. "What is troubling you?"

Instead of answering his question, she replied with a question. "Why do you love me?"

Orrin sat down on the bed next to her, rummaging his brain for a coherent and honest answer. "You have always been honest with me, for one. Then, there is your kindness and your willingness to help others. Your selflessness is overwhelming, inspiring even me. I love your loyalty, confidence, and trust. I have told you many secrets, and you have managed to keep them. Not many women can do that," he chuckled.

Orrin continued to list the various reasons why he loved Satine, his words almost like dagger to her. As soon as he mentioned her loyalty, she began to weep. At long last, Orrin stopped listing his reasons once realization hit him that her tears were not of joy, but of sadness. "Satine, pray tell, what is wrong?"

"I am nothing like what you just said, Orrin. Within the past few weeks, I have defiled almost every characteristic you listed."

"What? How?" Disbelief swept over him.

"Do you remember the night before we parted?" She asked with a quivering voice. She did her best to dry her tears with the cuff of her dress, but they still oozed out from behind her eyes, falling like raindrops.

Orrin was uncertain where the conversation was heading, but answered her question anyways. "Yes, I do. What does that have to do with anything?"

Satine stood up and walked over to a table with a mirror. Through the reflecting glass, she saw Orrin's face, his forehead crinkled with lines of confusion. Still looking into the mirror she said, "I wanted to tell you something very important, but you said we could discuss it another time. You shut me out when I need you to know something. Why did you do that? Why?" Her sobs became more violent as the questions rolled off her tongue.

With a heavy sigh, Orrin stood up. He walked over to Satine and placed a hand on her shoulder. "I am sorry if I have caused you pain by my refusal to listen that night. There was so much going on and I was still upset from our argument that I wanted some time to myself to think things over. You do not need to blame yourself, for it was my fault. Again I am sorry. Now, will you please explain what that has to do with our current conversation?"

"You admit that you were at fault that night?" Satine had to clarify that is what he had meant, before disclosing the earth-shattering news.

"Aye," he said with hesitation.

"Now, I can tell you what is plaguing my mind. I cannot marry you because I do not love you. And, you should not want to marry me, for I am wrong for you."

Orrin closed his eyes as the words sunk in. He removed his hand from her shoulder and said, "Then my fear has become a reality."

"I am so sorry, Orrin. This is not what I wanted to happen when I accepted your hand in marriage. Since then, so much has happened and I am not longer the same woman you asked to marry you. I have changed." She took a deep breath before saying, "I have fallen in love with someone and I have been with him while we were apart."

"What?" Satine jumped at his sudden hostility. "You—you had an affair?"

Haring him say the word "affair" wound her stomach in a knot. Choking on her tears, she nodded. His anger and jealous flared once she told him that she was with Eragon. "How could you do this, Satine? After all that I have done for you and this is how you repay me?"

Satine said nothing as he vented his anger. "I understand that you do not want to marry me, though hearing that was painful, but this—this treachery is like ripping my heart out and stomping on it!

"I wanted to end our engagement the night before I left," she said, catching him off guard.

"Oh, ok, I understand now. I understand that you are trying to blame me for your wrong-doing."

"No, I mean, yes…in a way."

"I do not believe this," Orrin said.

"Orrin, please, just listen to me…"

'No!" the venom in his voice silenced Satine. "I have heard enough! I am through with you—I hereby banish you from my sight. You have done the unforgivable and I cannot tolerate that. Just leave me alone with my misery."

Orrin stomped out of the tent before Satine could say or do anything else. _Everything will be all right?_ Roran's words rang through her head. _How can everything be all right? I have ruined everything with my foolishness. _Collapsing on her bed, she cried. _Oh, Eragon, where are you?_ _I need you._


End file.
